Chris and Lina in Manvar, India

Manvar Resort

Our tour guide says:

“Upon arrival, check into Manvar Resort, located right in the heart of the Great Indian Thar Desert. It is an unprecedented tourist destination offering a rare opportunity to enjoy Rajasthan’s desert life, culture, wildlife & beauty. The Resort provides every comfort the modern traveler could wish for; luxurious accommodation, mouth watering cuisine & an exclusive swimming pool. Built in the style of a traditional desert village, the resort is spread over 5 acres. Constructed using local materials & techniques“

We say: We arrived during a rain shower and pretty early in the day. The staff had a difficult time understanding us at first, but after a few attempts and about 5 people we were able to convey our message across. (It was funny most of the staff speaks French here.) The hotel placed us in a regular guest room while we waited for our tent to be
ready. When we did move to the tent, it was 7 km away! No exaggeration here. We had to get into a jeep and take a bumpy dusty ride past some fields through the desert to finally get to the camp. The camp is secluded but you can still hear the sounds of the freeway. (it’s a brand-new two lane freeway but very busy carrying mostly large brightly colored trucks) From the camp, you can watch local villagers water their herds and gather water from a
well.

After a few hours relaxing, it was time for our camel ride. We rode past a small village to the top of a hill and watched the sun set. While we were waiting for the sun to fall, we talked to to our fellow camel riders and found that we were all from America (most everyone else were NRI or non-resident Indians).

That evening we had entertainment. A band of musicians and dancers were there. I thought the little boy was the best dancer there! He did this hip swish thing that was so cute. While we watched, waiters came around and fed us appetizers. Unfortunately, we were full before dinner was served. We went to bed early and were surprised to hear someone at our tent entrance. Chris went over to see what he wanted and the guy wanted to know if we were alright. He seemed genuinely hurt that we didn’t want dinner.

After the performance, the staff kept a recording of similar music playing throughout the night. I listened to Indian drumming for the rest of the night. Somehow Chris was able to fall asleep.